Upholstery structure



Dec. 2,'1941. J, C, GORDON 2,264,750

UPHOLS TERY STRUCTURE Original Filed March 6, 1959 INVENTOR. JACK C. GORDON A TTORN E YS Patented Dec. 2, 1941 UPHOLSTERY STRUCTURE Jack c. Gordon, Detroit, Mich., assigner to Auen Industries, Inc., Detroit, Mich., a corporation of Delaware i Original application March 6,' 1939, Serial No.- 280,245. Divided and this application March 18, 1940, Serial No. 324,695

. 4 Claims.

This invention relates generally to upholstery units such as intermediate arm rests for divided4 seat structures, and constitutes a division of my application filed March 6, 1939, bearing Serial No. 260,245.

One of the essential objects of the invention is to provide a unit of this type that contains a yieldable core and a resilient covering so a double cushioning eect is obtained.

Another object is to provide a cushioning unit that includes a fibrous body formed of a prefashioned bat completely enveloped by a latex skin reenforced by an open mesh fabric or other suitable material.

Another object is to provide a unit including relatively low cost materials that are assembled in such a way they possess enhanced resiliency and the valuable `characteristics of more expen- Il. Preferably the body I5 is elongated in form and is substantially rectangular-shape in cross section. In the present instance, this body l5 comprises arelatively, fluffy substantially U- shaped strip of cotton batting straddling one end of the core A and having unconnected tapered end portions I9 and 20, respectively. The skin coating I6 of latex completely envelopes the body I 5 and is in the formI of a resilient surface layer thereon. Such latex may be applied to the body I5 by a spraying. operation and may be at least partially cured by warm air in an oven (not shown). While in the oven mentioned, the water content of the body I5 is llargely expelled and the skin coating when cured is tenacious and flexible. 'I'he reenforcement Il is preferably a sheet of tobacco cloth which also sive structures such as those made from sponge or molded rubber.

Another object is to provide a unit that may be accurately made, that will withstand abuse due to handling,without disintegrating or falling apart, and thathas a strong tendency to resume its original shape after deection.

Other objects, advantages and novel details of construction of this invention will be made more apparent as this description proceeds, especially when considered in connection with the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of an arm rest embodying my invention;

' Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view through the arm rest shown in Figure l;

Figure 3 is a plan view of the fibrous bat before being return-bent;

Figure 4 is a vertical sectional view through the bat shown in Figure 3;

Figure 5 is a transverse sectional view through the arm rest shown in Figure 1.

Referring now to the drawing, A is the core, and B is the covering of a cushioning unit embodying my invention.

As shown, the core A comprises a spring structure having two sets I0 and II, respectively, of coil springs, an intermediate support I2, and sheet metal followers I3 and I6, respectively, for the springs. Such springs may be anchored in any suitable manner to the support I2 and mayV be connected inany suitable manner to the followers I3 andl I4. A

.The covering B preferably has a body I5 of fibrous material, a skin coating I6 of latex, an open mesh reenforcement I1, and a trim fabric completely envelopes the body I5 and adheres to the latex coating I6 thereon. Thus, the latex coated body I5 will impart form as well as resiliency to the structure to which it is applied. 'I'he fabric trim I8 envelopes and forms an outer covering or casing for the core A and the latex coated fabric reenforced body I5, as illustrated in Figures 2 and 5, respectively. By referring to these figures it will be noted that the body I5 is return-bent so as to extend beneath and above the spring structure comprising the core A. The open mesh reenforcement I 1 on the inner side of the body I5 rests against the followers I3 and I 4 and extends around one end of the spring support I2, while the trim fabric I8 rests against the open mesh reenforcement I1 on the outer side of the body and extends around the other end of the spring support I2. When the parts are assembled, the unit tapers from the rounded forward end 2| to the rear end thereof and is substantially square-shape in cross section. Thus, this unit may be used advantageously as an intermediate arm rest for a divided seat structure of an automobile. 'Ihe spring structure A provides one cushioning means while the latexcoated body I5 provides another. Both are yieldable and both tend to resume their original position. or shape after deflection. Preferably the latex coating I6 and open mesh reinforcement I l are applied in the order named to the fibrous body I5 after it is cut to the shape illustrated in Figures 3 and 4 and before it is bent around the spring core A. The trim fabric I8 is applied to the covering B after it has been assembled with the core- A.

What I claim as my invention is:

1'. An upholstery unit having a core, and a covering for said core. the core including a spring structure having two substantially parallel sets of coil springs, an intermediate support for said springs, and followers at the outer ends of said springs, and the covering including a body of unimpregnated brous material provided with a skin coating of latex, an open mesh fabric reinforcement secured to the body, and a trim fabric, the body aforesaid being substantially U-shape and straddling the spring structure, the arms of the U being in surface-to-surface relation upon the upper and lower sides of the spring structure and unconnected at their ends, and the trim fabric enveloping and forming an outer covering for the core and body whereby said core and body are held in assembled condition.

2. An upholstery unit having a core, and a covering for said core, the core including a spring structure, and the covering including a substantially U-shaped bat of fibrous material straddling the spring structure, the arms of the U being upon the upper and lower sides respectively of the spring structure and unconnected at their ends, a resilient skin coating completely enveloping the bat, an open mesh reinforcement completely enveloping the coated bat and adhering to the skin coating, said reinforcement engaging in surface-to-surface relation the upper and lower sides of the spring structure, and a trim fabric enveloping and forming an outer covering fory the core and the reinforced coated bat of fibrous material, whereby the core and covering are held in assembled condition.

3. An upholstery unit having a core` and a covering for said core, the core including an elongated spring structure having two substantialiy parallel sets of coil springs, an intermediate support for said coil springs, and plate-like followers at the outer ends of said coil springs, and the covering including a substantially U-shaped body of fibrous material straddling one end of the spring structure, the arms of the U being in surface-tofsurface relation upon the plate-like followers for the coil springs and unconnected at their ends, and means enveloping the body and core so that such parts will be held in assembled condition.

4. An upholstery unit having a core and a covering for said core. the core including a spring structure having two substantially parallel sets of coil springs, an intermediate support therefor, and plate-like followers at the outer ends of said coil springs, and the covering including a substantially U-shaped mass of fibrous material straddling one end of the spring structure, and a trim fabric, the arms of the U being in surface-tosurface relation upon the plate-like followers for the coil springs and unconnected at their ends, and the trim fabric straddling the other end of the spring structure and being in surface-tosurface relation upon the outer sides of said covering.

JACK C. GORDON. 

